Page 27 of Snapshot

She’s silent again, so I knock my thumb against the table to kill time. But the lull becomes too much. “Len, you still there?”

“Yes. So, you’re moving?”

I nod slowly, then remember she can’t see me. “Yes. I’m in no hurry to sell the house, though. You, Finn, and Avery can still use the hot tub whenever you want.”

“Hm,” she says, her tone unmistakably peeved.

“What does ‘hm’ mean?”

“Funny that you think your hot tub is what I’ll miss.”

“Aw, okay. Don’t get all sad and sappy on me yet. I’ll be home in a few days to grab some things, and we can shed a few tears then.”

I swear I hear her sniffle which is odd because Lennox doesn’t cry. Ever. Or she’s strategic about hiding it. In the three years I’ve known her, I’ve seen her eyes tear up once, but that was when she closed the car door on her toe and nearly broke it.

“You know I’m always only a phone call away for you,” I assure her.

“Really? Because you suck with your phone, Dex. I’m shocked you answered today.”

Lennox thinks I’m flaky with my phone. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard her refer to me as a lovable goof. The truth is my phone is never not ringing. I often ignore it. Even when Grandma dismissed me from my director position three years ago, I still stayed on very part-time in an advisory role. I couldn’t completely lose touch of my future company. Not to mention, there is always some kind of familial affair I get looped into. Someone always needs a signature for something or another.

Between the lawyers, advisors, Denny, staff, and PR, my phone never stops. It’s overwhelming. I keep it on silent most of the time, which means I miss more of Lennox’s calls and messages than I mean to. That’s no good.

Maybe I should just get an extra phone and only give Lennox the number. Is that inappropriate to have a dedicated phone for a woman who’s in love with another man?

“I’ll get better with it. From now on if you call, I’ll answer, Trouble. I promise.”

She laughs. “All these years, and you still call me that. Do you remember when you gave me that nickname?”

Of course, I do.“The day we met. You want me to stop?”

“No,” she says softly. “I love nicknames. And thank you regarding the trip. I’ll figure out how to pay you back.”

“So you’ll go?”

“Yes,” she replies.

“Good.”

A light knock on the meeting room door interrupts us. I thought it was the first board member an hour early, but turns out it’s Denny. She’s in a sharp-looking gray suit today, as if she belongs in the boardroom. She certainly looks the part.

I beckon her in as I rise. “Hey,” I say in a hush to Lennox, “I have to go. Duty calls.”

I hang up in a hurry, feeling guilty. I don’t know why I get like this. So desperately trying to keep my worlds apart. Of all the people in my life, I know Denny and Lennox wouldn’t mix.

“Dex Hessler, what in the world are you doing?” She clicks her tongue as she crosses the room. “Security said you were at the office preparing for some big meeting?”

“That is accurate,” I say.

“You shouldn’t be here today. We buried your grandmother three days ago. You should be mourning in peace, honey. Why was the entire board called out?”

I point to the sealed envelope lying in the middle of the table. “I needed a distraction. I have the will. I figured a little transparency with the leadership team would help break the ice. The lawyer who was assigned as the executor is coming to walk us all through it.”

“I’m sorry…what?” Denny hisses. “Please tell me you’re not crazy enough to read your grandmother’s will to your subordinates.”

“Denny, calm down. Not my personal finances, just the matters regarding the Hessler Group.”

I flew the entire leadership team into the office on a Saturday. Grandma’s will was submitted to the probate courts almost immediately upon her death. She had a plan ready to execute like a well-oiled machine. Due to her financial status, the will was immediately sealed. No one knows what’s in it besides Grandma and the lawyers who prepared it.

---